| UNHAV NEWS No. 56 |
We have received a letter from Jeff Goldberg, the lawyer representing the Halifax Ex-Pats.
Jeff reports that the outcome of a recent preliminary meeting with leading Counsel in relation to the Heirs campaign was beneficial to both groups. There is still considerable ground work to be undertaken, as well as information / documentation research involving the Building Societies Commission, Register of Friendly Societies, and other converting building societies.The approximate time scale for the preparation above will be 4-6 weeks.
My comment is that I have consistently laid the fundamental blame for the Halifax atrocities (fairly and) squarely at the door of the Building Societies Commission for ever having approved the grossly unfair Halifax Transfer Scheme in the face of the vociferous protests from members present at the decisive Special General Meeting. The Commission's report, "Transfer Decision" (I can send relevant low-byte, but "biting", scanned extracts), states that Halifax confessed to the "error" (yet another) of omitting country names from addresses on envelopes containing vital conversion information and voting forms "sent" to Halifax Ex-Pats. Halifax is also on record in this document as stating, in its own distorted concept of democracy, that the omitted members would have had an "immaterial" effect on the outcome of the conversion vote anyway!
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE "FIGHTING FUND"
No need to send any money yet. Jack Hansed, our legal co-ordinator has not yet been requested by Jeff Goldberg to pay the 1,175 pounds on behalf of the whole Ex-Pat group for an initial Queen's Counsel opinion to examine our case prospects. The reason is that the moment is not opportune, and as Jeff said there is considerable groundwork to be done. There is also overlap between the information for the Heirs category he is already handling and that for the Ex-Pats. I deduce that Jeff will kill two birds with one stone and thus avoid duplicated costs.
This will give us ample time to swell our numbers with many more Ex-Pat UNHAVS. It all depends on our combined efforts in getting letters and articles published in the Press, particularly global publications, as well as those of you organised in regional groups placing ads/announcements in newspapers and other strategic places. We are expecting to be joined soon by many of Her Majesty's overseas forces.
Jack Hansed, Anne O'Connor (fund administrator), Jon Campbell (co-signee) and myself are currently working hard on the best way of organising the "HALIFAX EX-PATS" Fund, originally set up in Canada exclusively for nationals. With the scope broadened to encompass all Ex-Pats worldwide, I have submitted various suggestions. Yours would be most welcome too. My main suggestion is that the purpose should be exclusively to cover legal expenses and leave hat-round collection of campaign expenses for all major long-term anti- Halifax activists to quite separate funds to be set up at another date.
OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION DELAYS
Due to communication difficulties with Jack Hansed, our legal co-ordinator, I have requested Jeff Goldberg to keep the worldwide UNHAV group fully informed by simultaneously e-mailing me copies of all faxed correspondence to Jack. This will speed things up and relieve Jack of the cost of sending faxes.
Similarly, it will be far cheaper, faster, more practicable for Jack to relay his own campaign and legal news bulletins via me and our existing worldwide UNHAV e-mail network with its well-established secondary relays to the "e-mailless" and "telephoneless".
BREAKTHROUGH: BANKING OMBUDSMAN
Finally, the BANKING Ombudsman is prepared to review all complaints of misinformation concerning Halifax branch manager misinformation. Sylvia Spier, USA, for example, has a signed fax from her branch manager confessing to having given her the wrong information about registered address. Likewise, John Dunsmoir, USA who holds power of attorney for his elderly mother in a UK charity home.
I strongly urge you to send all WRITTEN (xerox) as well as all VERBAL information in this respect at all haste to:
(Don't forget my tip of sending all urgent letters/articles via a UK e-mail relay. Ask him/her to print it out nicely for you and pop it into the UK post, express same-day delivery. Do be very concise and objective.)
FOCUS ON THE MP FOR HALIFAX
Jack Hansed has corresponded with this key MP situated at the very heart of the battle. As her reply to Jack involved a mere reiteration of Halifax's claims that we had been properly warned about registered address, I would stress the importance of sending a wave of letters to her in order to put her fully in the picture:
"NOISE STORM" YOUR OWN MP TOO
Of course, if you have not already done so, you should also write to your own MP too. We must lobby with all the force we can muster:
U.K. UNHAVS
I have introduced all the accumulated UK UNHAVS to each other. I have also sent out detailed instructions on how to get their campaign underway. I wish to ensure that all Halifax categories and those of all other converted building societies to get on the legal bandwaggon. I have recommended that they contact the now defunct Halifax Action Group, as its retired leaders, Serge Lourie and Peter Judge, hold a file containing over 2,500 UK complainants. Very likely the UK members will be able to make good use of the H.A.G. website, still on The Web.
As I have had no reply to 3 messages, I have sent out an appeal for some kind soul in the UK to look up the phone number and ring Wayne Tomlinson of CARE SPECIAL, who contacted me about 20 disabled Halifax members in his care who got just ONE share allocation to be split among ALL. I would also like the UK UNHAVS to seek other charity homes via The Web and Yellow Pages where there are likely to be hundreds of cheated elderly, terminally ill, and physically & mentally handicapped.
As the official Ombudsman is so complacent I will do his job, and then call for his resignation.
END OF REPORT No. 56
Revised 10 March 1998